Natural Wealth Is A Gift, Jokowi: Don't Be A Digger, Just A Fish Catcher, But...

President Joko Widodo (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked that the use of natural resources in Indonesia is not limited to being a digger or a fish catcher. The gift of natural wealth that is given must be used as well as possible.

This message was conveyed by Jokowi when giving directions to the participants of the LXII Regular Education Program (PPRA) and the XXIII Forced Short Education Program (PPSA) in 2021, the Indonesian National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas).

"If it's a mine, we shouldn't just be diggers. The gift that God has given us is truly extraordinary, but if it's just a digger, we send them out, they build a smelter there and then make semi-finished or finished goods and then come back here. , we buy this which little by little we have to lose, "

"We are no longer allowed to be fish catchers, there must be a processing industry here," said Jokowi at the State Palace, Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, October 13.

President Jokowi also regrets that in the past there was a timber boom, but Indonesia only produced logs and there was no timber industry or furniture industry. So that the Indonesian industry loses this opportunity.

"Fishing must be carried out for the welfare of the people, but it must also be measured and ensure its sustainability is not only taken, taken continuously but exhausted because it is not measurable because it is not calculated," said Jokowi.

Furthermore, mining can also be carried out in a measurable, controlled and guaranteed post-mining management.

"We can also do the forestry industry and plantations, but we can do this by ensuring our sustainability and preserving our biological wealth," said the President.

President Jokowi also mentioned that to protect the national interest, the government has taken over several foreign companies. "That's why we took over the ownership of several foreign companies, for example Freeport has been managed by Freeport McMoRan for 54 years, 2 years ago we took the majority of its shares, from 9 percent to 51 percent majority," said the President.

Furthermore, the ownership of the Mahakam Block in East Kalimantan which has been managed by Total from France for 43 years was taken over, and is currently managed by Pertamina.

"Lastly, the Rokan Block, which has been managed for 97 years by Chevron, has also been 100 percent (owned by the government) and we have given it to Pertamina. Now we just have to see if we can continue, increasing production from what we have taken over. question, but we'll see in the next 4 years if we can afford it," said Jokowi.

In addition to providing added value and taking over foreign companies, another important thing is industrial downstreaming.

"We really can't export raw materials that have no added value, we get money from there, yes, we get income from there, yes, but the added value is what we want," said President Jokowi.

President Jokowi emphasized that business actors must produce products with high added value that combine the use of natural resources with technological wisdom that preserves them.

In the event, Lemhannas also submitted the results of a study entitled "Downstreaming of Strategic Minerals and Rare Earth Metals to Support National Economic Growth".

The participants of the LXII Regular Education Program (PPRA) were attended by 80 people consisting of 49 people from the TNI/Polri at echelon 2 and 3 levels, and 31 people from the Supreme Court, the Attorney General's Office, ministries, provincial governments, Kadin, DPD, political parties. , and community organizations. PPRA LXII will be held on January 26 - August 31, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Short Class Education Program (PPSA) XXIII was held on April 14-14, 2021, which was attended by 60 participants consisting of elected senior officials at echelon 1 and 2 levels from the TNI/Polri as many as 36 people, and 24 people from the MPR RI, the Ministry of Education and Culture. institutions, provincial governments, political parties, and community organizations.

In the event, Lemhannas also submitted the results of a study entitled "Downstreaming of Strategic Minerals and Rare Earth Metals to Support National Economic Growth".

The participants of the LXII Regular Education Program (PPRA) were attended by 80 people consisting of 49 people from the TNI/Polri at echelon 2 and 3 levels, and 31 people from the Supreme Court, the Attorney General's Office, ministries, provincial governments, Kadin, DPD, political parties. , and community organizations. PPRA LXII will be held on January 26 - August 31, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Short Class Education Program (PPSA) XXIII was held on April 14 - October 14, 2021, which was attended by 60 participants consisting of elected senior officials at echelon 1 and 2 levels from the TNI/Polri as many as 36 people, and 24 people from the MPR RI, the Ministry of Education and Culture. institutions, provincial governments, political parties, and community organizations.